For example, in order to switch between two dimensional (2D) display and three-dimensional (3D) display by the naked eye without using glasses or other vision equipment, there is a device including a first liquid crystal display panel for performing image display, and a second liquid crystal display panel provided on the display surface side (observer side) of the first liquid crystal display panel. The second liquid crystal display panel forms a parallax barrier to allow a different light beam to be incident on each of the left and right eyes of an observer in a 3D display. In such a liquid crystal display device, it is possible to switch between 2D display and 3D display by controlling the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules of the second liquid crystal display panel, changing the refractive index in the second liquid crystal display panel, forming lens (lenticular lens, cylindrical lens array) areas extending in the vertical direction of the display surface and aligned in the horizontal direction, and directing the light of pixels corresponding to the left and right eyes to the observing point of the observer.
As an example of the three-dimensional display device of the liquid crystal lens system with such a configuration, there is an automatic stereoscopic display device described in Published Japanese Translation of a PCT Application No. 2009-520231. In the display device described in Published Japanese Translation of a PCT Application No. 2009-520231, a planar electrode is formed on one of two transparent substrates facing each other with a liquid crystal layer in between. At the same time, strip-like electrodes (linear electrodes) extending in the formation direction of the lens are aligned on the other transparent substrate. With this configuration, it is possible to control the switching between 2D display and 3D display, by controlling the refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules by the control of the voltage to be applied to the strip-like electrode and by the control of the voltage to be applied to the planar electrode. Further, although there is no explicit description in Published Japanese Translation of a PCT Application No. 2009-520231, beads or other materials are supposed to be used for spacers to keep the thickness of the liquid crystal layer.
In the electrode structure with the configuration described above, a bead SB may be fixed on the top of the strip-like electrode when the two transparent substrates are bonded. In this state, the liquid crystal orientation is disturbed in the vicinity of the strip-like electrode by the bead, resulting in a problem of occurrence of unwanted light. The occurrence of unwanted light may degrade the crosstalk that represents the 3D display image quality.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-131700 describes a configuration in which the orientation control capability of the oriented film surface is uniformed, by controlling the concave-convex shape of the oriented film surface in a liquid crystal display panel so that the average inclination angle is 8.5 degrees or less, or so that the shape is tapered forward with an aspect ratio (vertical/horizontal ratio) of 0.15 or less. In this way, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of display failure due to the change in the initial orientation direction.